“Maine’s coastal villages offer cabins in the woods, New England comfort food, and a full roster of activities on land and at sea.”
–NYMag.com

We spent last week in southern Maine–what an awesome vacation destination! I shared some of the highlights from our trip in this new travel story for New York Magazine. Would love to know your thoughts. Wishing you a happy summer with lots of adventures–near or far.

“Remember when summer was endless? It smelled like pine needles and roasting marshmallows and felt like a splash of icy fresh lake water. Well, you can recapture those sensations at new bungalow cottages in Maine—without roughing it and without chintzy florals. Hidden Pond’s cottages are part of a cool breed that prove an authentic, carefree vacation is still possible and can be even better than you remember, thanks to sophisticated twists.”

With four canvas tents like the one above, that’s just what family-friendly Camp Orenda offers. For $135 per person/per night, plus half that price for kids, all meals and on-site activities are included. Sounds like a pretty idyllic summer vacation to me.

PS. We made these turkey burgers from Marin Mama on Sunday night, with corn on the cob. Our almost two-year-old only ate the veggies and half an English muffin bun, but I thought the whole meal was delicious. Oh, and the new show that aired on HBO, the Newsroom? I’m a fan.

Have you read the cover story in this month’s Atlantic –“Why Women Still Can’t Have it All,” by Anne-Marie Slaughter? It may not offer easy solutions for everyone, but I think it sparks an interesting and important conversation about work-life balance. Have a great weekend.

A pool? Check. Horseback riding? Check. An ice cream shop and s’mores? Check, check. At just two years old, my daughter might be a little too young to take advantage of all these awesome summertime activities at Sea Island, but if you have older kids and you’re looking for a last-minute family getaway in July or August, this place could be the perfect fit.

Just off the southeastern coast of Georgia, set on five miles of private beach, your little ones can participate in fun-filled programs like Camp Cloister. Or the Coastal Discoveries Program, which offers daily adventures ranging from archery and kayaking and to beach eco-labs, fish dissections (really!), and gyotaku fish printing. The Survival Skills After Dark program takes place on Friday nights, and kids can test their survival skills such as building fires, tying knots, pitching tents, and reading a compass — then celebrate their accomplishments roasting marshmallows by the fire. There’s also tennis, squash, nature walks, cooking classes, and sea turtle excursions. For a real splurge, check out the cottages.

My daughter wants to pick every dandelion she sees sprouting up between the city sidewalks, so I think it’s time to give her whole bunches. Second birthday party theme? Sunshine and flowers. What do you think? And even though we’re just having a small, low-key gathering at my parents’ house, I wanted to order printed invitations because they make such a nice keepsake. So I used a photo of her picking flowers and ordered this one from Paper Culture, which plants a tree for every order. Aren’t they cool? Here are a few party-related things I’ve found so far for inspiration:

One perk of working full-time during the week, versus freelancing, is that a weekend actually feels like two days off. We spent Saturday night with a bunch of friends drinking beers and eating burgers on the roof at Bark Hot Dogs in Brooklyn Bridge Park–if you’re looking for a place to gather, this is such a great spot to go. You can reserve tables for up to two hours, the food’s inexpensive, and you can have a grown-up night out if you get a sitter (like we did) or bring your kids (and your dogs). Sunday, we took the free ferry to Governor’s Island and had a picnic. Then, Sunday night, I baked these delicious blueberry muffins from Brooklyn Supper (one of my new favorite food blogs) for Monday morning breakfast. What did you do this weekend?

Have you heard about this new documentary, which premiers on Saturday at the Los Angeles film festival? While I’d love to visit Ina May Gaskin’s inspirational farm, I’ll settle for watching this movie in the meantime. If you’re similarly inspired, you can add your support to the filmmakers here.

“Remember this, for it is as true and true gets: Your body is not a lemon. You are not a machine. The Creator is not a careless mechanic. Human female bodies have the same potential to give birth well as aardvarks, lions, rhinoceri, elephants, moose, and water buffalo. Even if it has not been your habit throughout your life so far, I recommend that you learn to think positively about your body.”
― Ina May Gaskin, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth